This blog is about business and the frustrations of running and depending on a major search engine to be what it extols itself to be…

The joys of the internet are awesome and offer experiences that we might not ever be aware of or be able to see. It takes us to different parts of the world daily, keeps us informed and allows us new opportunities to meet new customers, find lost friends and share new experiences. We are a world that has become dependant on the accuracy and the service of major search engines.

As a small business owner, I need Google and it’s search ability to keep my business alive. My potential customers are not always within walking or driving distance of my shop. Many have never met us, but like what they hear about our creative designs and customer service, or are looking for a flower delivery in a family member’s town. So like many they go to Google and they “google” “florists in Sunrise , Fl…..up until a few weeks ago, this worked like a charm…they reached us and we made a new customer, kept people employed, paid taxes...the usual things businesses do and everything worked out just fine.

Unfortunately, Google’s search is currently not working particularly (SEE MAP BELOW) if you use it to find something generic in our city…for whatever reason, Google changed it’s map program and since then, if you google “florists in Sunrise, Fl” , you are directed to florists in Sarasota …Only about a five hour drive across the Everglades and on the opposite side of the State…can you imagine the delivery charge for that one! Kind of like having a bad GPS working for you.

I mean really, how hard can it be for a major search engine to show the businesses in the correct city? Oh and did I mention that it affects every category from plumbers, electricians… even the City Manager’s Office…we’ve all been replaced by businesses in Sarasota. None of the Sunrise, Fl businesses are to be found on a search for them using our City. Kind of scary…will I be able to prove I don’t exist and not have top pay the upcoming Occupational License by showing them Google’s search result?…I think not.

Google….the amazing search engine can find a gnat’s pahtootie in Mozambique but can’t keep two cities in Florida, located on opposite sides of the State and spelled differently in their right location.

As of the 16th of this month, on their own Google blog “ Information access is the core of Google mission” or the one on the 9th that says they “have improved the interface for local information in web search”…well I say the mission and the interface are in need of repair, fixing, or a do over cause it is broken guys…..

I don’t know about you, but I am a novice at these things....all I know is that I want a search engine to show where my business is, I want it to be accurate and I want to be able to talk, email, reach out or send up a smoke signal somehow, some way to Google when it doesn’t and in this department, they are sadly lacking. Now if you are a webmaster or host or a major blogger like, Mike Blumenthal you probably know where to look. But if you are a small business owner switching hats from one minute to the next…..all you want is a simple way to let them know something needs fixing. It currently does not exist….anywhere that is easy to find.

And when you do have a map issue like this one…well, just try and find a phone number, an email address, some place to send a smoke signal for help …ANYTHING that lets you talk to a “human being”. They don’t exist. You can go to “maps” and report a “problem” with the caveat that it might be fixed in thirty days…30 DAYS! …..that’s warm and fuzzy…in thirty days I will lose valuable revenues, my customers will think I am out of business and I can forget about having new customers find me. The happy customers that want to write a review won’t have that chance either, so we are not happy with Google right now and the result is this blog. Maybe someone there reads blogs…

And if you think that this problem is a new one…it happened in December of 2007 as well so this makes it even more frustrating as you would think that they would have “fixed” the problem back then so it never happened again. So if you can read this, Flowers From The Rainflorist is really located in Sunrise Fl, has been for 19 years, and we are a Real Sunrise Florist making same day deliveries in Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale and all of Broward County. We’d love to hear from you if you can just find us!